Control over surface chemistry on organic and inorganic substrates is critically important in many industrial devices. Surface chemistry is typically controlled either by assembling organic monolayers such as thiols on gold or siloxanes on glass, or through the assembly or growth of polymers on surfaces. One set of examples to illustrate the importance of surface chemistry is the use of DNA and protein arrays in medicine and biology. These arrays require complex patterns of single-stranded DNA or proteins bonded to a surface with high loadings. In these arrays and other materials, the surface chemistry must be well defined and controlled such that the functional groups exposed on a surface are known and react with selected molecules. Because of the importance of well-defined surface chemistry in areas as diverse as chromatography, DNA arrays, biosensors, tribology and others, developing new surface-modified materials and methods to control surface chemistry is a very active area of research.
Currently there is a need for new polymeric materials for which the surface chemistry is well-defined. Coupled to this need for new materials is the need for new methods that allow for the synthesis of well-defined surfaces on polymeric substrates.